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Vanderbilt, in its 18th straight NCAA appearance, defeated San Diego, 4-1, in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Women's Tennis Championship at USC's Marks Stadium on Friday (May 11).

The Commodores improved to 17-7 on the season and to 36-17 all-time in NCAA action. San Diego, the 2012 WCC Champons, finish the season at 13-10 after appearing in its second straight NCAA tournament and 11th overall in program history.

Vanderbilt captured the doubles point in a more than 90-minute battle with San Diego. The Commodores' Ashleigh Antal and Marie Casares raced to a 6-1 lead at No. 2 doubles before the Toreros' Maja Sujica and Anna Depenau won the next four games to close to 6-5. Antal and Casares, however, closed out the first doubles set at 8-5.

Meanwhile, Nos. 1 and 3 doubles were both engaged in tight back-and-forth action. With San Diego ahead 7-6 on court 3, Vanderbilt's No. 1 doubles tandem of Lauren Mira and Jackie Wu came back from 6-7 and 7-8 deficits to force a tiebreak at 8-8. The Commodore duo won the tiebreak at 7-5 for a 9-8 win to lock up the doubles point.

Mira made quick work of San Diego's Stephanie Hoffpauir at No. 2 singles, winning 6-0, 6-1, to give Vanderbilt a 2-0 lead. Commodore teammate Nelly Radeva made it 3-0 minutes later with a 6-1, 6-0 win over the Toreros' Marite Raygada at No. 5 singles.

San Diego got on the scoreboard when Sujica swept Gornet at No. 6 singles, 6-0, 6-0. Soon after, however, Vanderbilt's Antal defeated San Diego's Depenau, 6-2, 6-2, to clinch the Commodores' trip into the second round. USD's Juliette Coupez at No. 1 and Laura Claus at No. 3 singles were both battling tough in their singles matches before having their contests suspended.

Vanderbilt will the play the winner of No. 5 seed USC and Fairfield, which follows the earlier match.